Trin | Surviving life in Trinidad and Tobago: Everyday pollution in TnT

When will our policymakers come up with legal limits for Trinidad and Tobago's pollution levels? Great ideas are found in the article below.

Advice for Gov't on climate change

The president of the University of T&T warned in 2008 that high levels of CO2 emissions were emanating from the nine ammonia and seven methanol plants at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, as well as from motor vehicles (33 million tonnes annually). T&T has one of the largest vehicle per capita populations with highly toxic poisonous emissions (greater than 400,000 vehicles for 1.3 million citizens). Since many of these are old vehicles, the pollutants are extremely high. Government has destroyed 140 acres of forest at Union Estate, the site of the smelter and another 85 acres at the site of the steel plant. Wildlife is seriously endangered and the fishing industry is at risk of extinction. We are experiencing increasing intensities of droughts, fires, floods, stronger storms and health-related vector diseases. The main waste dump sites are continuously ablaze from chemical reactions.

Lead and mercury seep from these sites into the waterways, leading to the Caroni Dam which supplies east and north Trinidad. Coastal erosion is severe in the South West Peninsula with huge mainland shores being washed away. The Government, despite widespread protests by citizens and a judicial ruling against the continuation of construction of an aluminium smelter (Alutrint), arrogantly pursues its continued construction. The judge ruled that the decision of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to grant approval for construction of the Alutrint smelter was illegal and stated that the decision was “outrageous, irrational and procedurally irregular.” The EMA, being extremely inefficient and incompetent, fails to give a definitive method by which spent pot lining (SPL) would be dealt with. SPL contains cyanide, fluoride, arsenic and other toxic substances. The dangers associated with the treatment, crushing, extraction and transportation of SPL are extremely detrimental to human health and the environment.

The Government for the last eight years has shown no interest in working with the recommendations from the Geneva 1990 Second World Climate Conference for the Alliance of Small Island States nor with the West Indian Commission document on environment and development. The issues from the UN Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States held in Barbados in 1994, which identified climate change and sea levels as being amongst its highest priorities, was addressed by the then Prime Minister Panday Government, “Initial National Communication of Trinidad and Tobago under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” published in February 2001. Eight years later, this Government has failed to produce even a Green Paper on climate change issues.

The Opposition recommends the following:
1. There is urgent need for a comprehensive policy on climate Change.
2. Need to fast track collaboration with international organisations in pursuit of cost-effective strategies for carbon reduction, cognisant of economic development and sustainability.
3. Government must provide information on T&T’s emission trends, vulnerability, mitigation and adaptation options.
4. Government must engage in active consideration on the use of renewable energy sources, eg solar.
5. It must adopt policies for clean energy technology and approaches for energy efficiency.
6. Formulate a national agenda to create awareness.
7. Need for improved management by EMA.
8. Need for urgent action in treating with coastal erosion.
9. Need for a strong commitment for reduction of greenhouse gases and a mandate to produce new targets.

The Opposition calls for, under Article 4 of the convention, the Government to publish, update periodically and make available its national inventory of greenhouse gases and its national programmes to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It is imperative that this Government takes climate change scenarios with the utmost seriousness in relevant future social, economic and environmental policies and actions.

Tim Gopeesingh
UNC MP

Published: 1 Dec 2009, The Trinidad Guardian